WooCommerce: Search Products By Custom Field (Backend)

In WooCommerce, there are two kinds of search: the customer one (frontend) and the admin one (backend). We’ve already covered how to let customers search into custom field values on top of the default product title and description, so this time we’ll talk about the backend search.

Let’s say, as a WooCommerce store admin, that you’ve added a product custom field (e.g. “gtin“), and you want to make sure the backend search also returns products where “gtin” is equal to the search term. The snippet below will help you do that. Enjoy!

I’d like to search products by “ABC” as per the screenshot above, where “ABC” could also be present in some custom fields. The snippet below fixes that.

PHP Snippet: Allow Admin to Search Products By Custom Field @ WordPress Dashboard

/**
 * @snippet       Search by Custom Field @ WP Dashboard
 * @how-to        Get CustomizeWoo.com FREE
 * @author        Rodolfo Melogli
 * @compatible    WooCommerce 7
 * @donate $9     https://businessbloomer.com/bloomer-armada/
 */

add_filter( 'posts_where', 'bbloomer_search_products_by_custom_field_in_admin', 9999, 2 );

function bbloomer_search_products_by_custom_field_in_admin( $where, $wp_query ) {	
    global $wpdb, $pagenow;
    $post_type = 'product';
    $custom_fields = array(
        "gtin",
		  "ean",
    );
    if ( is_admin() && 'edit.php' === $pagenow && $wp_query->query['post_type'] === $post_type && isset( $_GET['s'] ) ) {
		$get_post_ids = array();
		foreach ( $custom_fields as $custom_field_name ) {
			$args = array(
				'posts_per_page' => -1,
				'post_type' => $post_type,
				'meta_query' => array(
					array(
						'key' => $custom_field_name,
						'value' => wc_clean( wp_unslash( $_GET['s'] ) ),
						'compare' => 'LIKE'
					)
				),
				'fields' => 'ids',
			);
			$posts = get_posts( $args );
			if ( ! empty( $posts ) ) {
				foreach ( $posts as $post_id ) {
					$get_post_ids[] = $post_id;
				}
			}
		}
		$search_ids = array_filter( array_unique( array_map( 'absint', $get_post_ids ) ) );
		if ( count( $search_ids ) > 0 ) {
			$where = str_replace( "wp_posts.ID IN (0)", "wp_posts.ID IN (" . implode( ',', $search_ids ) . ")", $where );
		}		
	}	
    return $where;	
}

Where to add custom code?

You should place PHP snippets at the bottom of your child theme functions.php file and CSS at the bottom of its style.css file. Make sure you know what you are doing when editing such files - if you need more guidance, please take a look at my guide "Should I Add Custom Code Via WP Editor, FTP or Code Snippets?" and my video tutorial "Where to Place WooCommerce Customization?"

Does this snippet (still) work?

Please let me know in the comments if everything went as expected. I would be happy to revise the snippet if you report otherwise (please provide screenshots). I have tested this code with Storefront theme, the WooCommerce version listed above and a WordPress-friendly hosting.

If you think this code saved you time & money, feel free to join 17,000+ WooCommerce Weekly subscribers for blog post updates and 250+ Business Bloomer supporters for 365 days of WooCommerce benefits. Thank you in advance!

Need Help with WooCommerce?

Check out these free video tutorials. You can learn how to customize WooCommerce without unnecessary plugins, how to properly configure the WooCommerce plugin settings and even how to master WooCommerce troubleshooting in case of a bug!

Rodolfo Melogli

Business Bloomer Founder

Author, WooCommerce expert and WordCamp speaker, Rodolfo has worked as an independent WooCommerce freelancer since 2011. His goal is to help entrepreneurs and developers overcome their WooCommerce nightmares. Rodolfo loves travelling, chasing tennis & soccer balls and, of course, wood fired oven pizza.

6 thoughts on “WooCommerce: Search Products By Custom Field (Backend)

  1. Hi Rodolfo
    I’ve placed the “PHP Snippet: Allow Admin to Search Products By Custom Field @ WordPress Dashboardis PHP” code into a new Code snippet but the results aren’t the right one (see screenshot)
    Can you help me please? Grazie in anticipo
    Eric
    Where can I send you a screen shot?

    1. Weird. You can upload your screenshot somewhere online and send me the link. Let me know

      1. Hi Rodolfo
        Sorry for the late reply. Here the link
        https://capture.dropbox.com/OVGMhDdOTnAmvW9c
        I create a new snippet and I paste the code inside
        I try it but it didn’t get me the right results
        Quiet al my fields are personalized
        Eric

        1. And your custom field keys are definitely “gtin” and “ean”?

          1. No, I’ve type for example the name of a winemaker like Régis Descotes

            1. Thank you. In the snippet, you need to make sure you’re using the right custom field keys. If the winemaker field has the key “winemaker”, then you need to use this inside the snippet, otherwise it will look for “gtin” or “ean” custom fields, which you probably don’t use. Makes sense?

Questions? Feedback? Support? Leave your Comment Now!
_____

If you are writing code, please wrap it between shortcodes: [php]code_here[/php]. Failure to complying with this (as well as going off topic, not writing in English, etc.) will result in comment deletion. You should expect a reply in about 2 weeks - this is a popular blog but I need to get paid work done first. Please consider joining BloomerArmada to get blog comment reply priority, ask me 1-to-1 WooCommerce questions and enjoy many more perks. Thank you :)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *